1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to an improved data processing system and in particular to a method and apparatus for processing data. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a method, apparatus, and computer instructions for testing software.
2. Description of Related Art
In designing and producing applications, developers far increasingly concerned with insuring that the applications performed correctly in different countries and cultures. Developers desire to have applications that can be used globally. Globalization involves the proper design and execution of systems, software, services, and procedures such that one instance of an application, executing on a single server or multi-user machine may process multilingual data and present data in a culturally correct manner in a multicultural environment such as the Internet.
This presentation of data includes, for example, allowing individual users to select a language for the user interface in which the language may differ from the language of the data being processed. Another example is presenting information, such as dates and numbers, in a culturally correct manner for each user even if they are from different countries.
Currently, development teams rely on translation verification testing to catch basic globalization problems. This type of testing involves having personnel, such as a translator or tester selected by the translating country to perform tests. One such test involves reviewing the translated program integrated information (PII) after build or integration and compilation to verify that the translation has not been haltered or corrupted by any of these processes. Other tests may include checking for the proper formatting and presentation of data that varies by language and country. Further, these personnel may make the necessary changes for consistency and accuracy.
This type of testing is costly and ineffective. Early detection and correction is desired. As a result, many globalization problems often go unfixed as their discovery is late in the development cycle. Therefore, some form of testing that enables detection and correction of globalization problems early in the software development cycle is required. This type of testing is known as globalization verification testing (GVT). GVT becomes more critical as more applications are designed to support the global marketplace.
In reaching the goal of globalization for applications, global verification tests may be performed on the applications prior to those applications being released for use. In performing such a task, a verification of the translatability and basic globalization support is made during the functional testing phase of a product. These tests take place before any translation verification testing.
The task of testing a product for proper globalization support is often very difficult for test teams that do not have a resident globalization subject matter expert. Globalization subject matter experts are almost always needed to determine which features of a product are subject to language and cultural influences. The lack of globalization experts has led to inadequate globalization testing of products. In addition, as software components are combined to produce new products, no easy way is present to determine if all components in a product have undergone the same level of globalization testing. These problems have delayed the discovery of globalization defects until very late in the development cycle or even worse after the product has shipped.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to have improvement, apparatus, and computer instructions for testing applications.